Pride
by katkah
Summary: Do you know the story of the Sphinx? Well, that was me. That and something my pride couldn't understand yet then.


When someone starts telling something, first, they should tell their name, right?

At least that's what I learned. You should always introduce yourself when telling your story. But if _I_ did, heh, that'll sound FAR too awkward!

I have only one name, and I had it for very, very long. But it sounds different in every language, and I had very much choices when I decided how will I call myself.

So I'll just tell one of the variants in my mother language, Greek, and slightly changed- Phronea.

You don't know, what it means? That's fine. Not everyone speaks such a great and ancient language.

I was born in Thebes, a beautiful city indeed. It was one of the biggest cities back in the ages of Greek mythology.

…..

It is funny, but I was born in a family of completely normal peasants. They had a small farm near the walls, where I also worked… quite.

Since I was little everyone suspected I'm not normal. But they didn't make a big deal out of it, children of various gods and other supernatural things were quite common. But I often heard neighbors argue just WHOSE child I was (that it might be my father was out of the question, of course…). Some said it was Apollon, some it was Amor and some it was even Zeus. I didn't understand very much back then, and I didn't care, how they talked about my golden hair, tan skin and golden-ish eyes. But parents were very proud of me and showed me off to everyone, and how I could play musical instruments easily.

But then, there wasn't even one thing I wasn't good at.

At the age of ten I was the best in school, in sports (at least among girls), in …everything.

Also, everyone said I was a beauty that could be compared even with Aphrodite, but then, I didn't want to anger her, so I came to her temple every week. And- nothing bad happened to me. I was fine. Actually, it seemed the gods blessed me. And I knew… and I took it as a normal thing. I wasn't grateful, and why? Because of my _pride_.

…..

When I was twelve, I often used to sit near a lake, staring into the water on myself.

,,I'm the best girl in the city," I grinned.

And it was so familiar, so nice, so natural, to be proud of myself so much. I didn't knew why, but it angered me when parents told me to be a little more modest.

ME? Oh yes, sure, GO TO HELL!

I wasn't.

….

Then, I was fifteen. Parents decided I'm the proper age for marrying.

I didn't protest very much, why would I? I just asked a question;

,,Well, but to who?"

Obviously no boy among peasants wasn't good enough for me. Not even a _man_. And not only because of my opinion, but because of everyone's

They became worried, what to do with me. I shrugged and suggested to live on like I did before. Afterall, who needed marrying?

…

Then at the edge of sixteen I stumbled over a boy in the lake I used to also bathe in.

I caught him with my clothes.

,,HEY!" I yelled on him, standing in the lake straight (my hair was long enough to cover me whole). ,,RETURN THEM ON AN INSTANT!"

He jumped and dropped them.

,,_What the hell were you doing?_" I screamed absolutely mad, then came over to them and got dressed.

,,I'm SO SORRY, miss! I never intended to steal them!" he almost stuttered.

,,You BETTER didn't! Wait if I tell this to someone!"

I studyied him. He looked my age, but…hm, not anything special.

,,Again, so sorry! I-I was just raveling by and… um.. saw you in the lake… You see I just wanted to take a closer look at a beauty I never seen before!"

I calmed down a bit.

,,Alright, alright," I sighed. ,,you're forgiven."

,,May I ask," he stated carefully. ,,who you are…?"

,,My name is none of your concern. Who YOU are?"

,,My name is not something you really need to know," he mumled.

I actually laughed. Oh my, how humble he was!

,,Sure, boy. So, will you let me bathe or will you stare?"

,,Yes, yes, sure! I'm going already. Are you here everyday?"

,,Why?" I raised a eyebrow.

,,W-well if I can come again to meet you here."

,,Why should we meet again?"

,,And we won't?"

,,I don't see a reason," I shrugged.

,,Oh. Well, good-bye."

,,Farewell," I mumbled.

…

But it wasn't a farewell. He came again and again, and at first I was annoyed by it, but then I got used to him, always sitting near me when I brought things to the lake, or just lied there and stared into the water. He was like a pup following his master.

After around a month he once asked me;

,,Miss, do you believe in love at first sight?"

I considered.

,,I don't know," I shrugged. ,,I don't ever wonder about love, really."

,,You don't wonder about human feelings?" he frowned.

,,No," I said more coldly and sharply than I wanted to. It surprised me.

But it was true, I never did. I just enjoyed life as it was, and I realized without friends. But it never bothered me.

,,Does that mean you care for nobody?"

This time it was me who frowned.

,,No, it doesen't…" I said, but a bit hesitantly.

,,And if you ever had children, would you care for them?"

,,I won't have any."

I said it just bluntly without thinking, right after he finished his own sentence. It just came naturally. Like my pride.

He stared on me, then said carelessly;

,,And if you had siblings? Would you learn it?"

This time I relaxed and really started to wonder about it, making circles with my finger in the water.

,,If I had a sister, or any siblings," I said. ,,I'll care and protect them more than anything in this world. But I'm sure I'll never feel like that for anyone else."

,,You said ,I will.'…?"

I frozed. Did I said that?

,,What…? Uh, no!" I laughed nervously. ,,It just… slipped out.'

After this point, the situation became worse for me.

I realized I'm more different than anyone would suspect, and that I really didn't belong to this world. Not among humans, or maybe I did, but still- I wasn't one of them.

And I left the city and went to another, which was another great one- Delphs.

I wanted to know, what now with my life, what to do with the fact I'm so different, to know what I am.

They awaited me there just alike any other traveler. Kindly, yet without emotion.

,,Your future," they stated. ,,is your death." I stared.

,,Does that mean… I have to die?"

,,You have to die to havea life you want."

I did not understand, but I was too tired. It was a hot, sunny day with not a single cloud in the sky when I killed myself.

Or I _tried_.

I tried over and over, but I wouldn't die. But I felt different than before. And also I found out I could transform.

Ever heard the story of the Sphinx?

It was me. Sphinx, and maybe something else my pride couldn't fully understand then.

Then I wanted to go see my hometown once more, and I sat on a huge flat rock in front of the gates. To see the travelers being scared of me a bit hurt me, but amused me at the same time. You know the story. I gave them a riddle.

I don't even know, why I did it. Probably just the sadness, anger, despair, loneliness, the feeling that I was maybe one of a kind.

By the way- it wasn't true I tore to pieces everyone who didn't answer my riddle. I just tore three, because they pissed me off.

I waited, waited, didn't die, and once- someone answered my riddle. I've been too bored to go for another one, so I left the stone for good.

Some says I jumped off a cliff, and it is true. But I had wings! It's not like I wanted to kill myself! Which wouldn't work either way.

I sat down there for days, I don't know how long. Sometimes birds would come down and when they saw I wasn't dead, they left me alone.

And then I felt her. No really, I sensed her presence, although I didn't hear her steps.

She was very familiar, yet when I looked up I knew I never seen her before. She wasn't from here. Looked around twelve, but infinite wisdon and… sadness…? Could be seen from her eyes, and I knew this wasn't a little girl. Not a woman either. It was a immortal- alike me.

She helped me up.

,,I know how it feels," she said.

,,Who are you?" I asked.

She smiled.

,,I'm Envy, pleased to meet you."

,,Pride," I bowed slightly. ,,the pleasure is mine."

,,So what now?" she titled head to the side.

,,Are there more of us… sins?" I asked carefully.

,,Not yet."

,,Who do you think is going to be next?"

,,What do you think?"

,,I think…" I already knew, before she asked. ,,Sloth."

,,I think we'll need warmer clothes," she stated.

,,Definitely. We're going north afterall."

,,In a hundred years or so."

,,We can go right now," I grinned.

She laughed.

,,Sure thing, sister."


End file.
